Champion Of The Pantheon
by Egghead
Summary: Summary: A champion for the Pantheon is chosen by the Goblet Of Fire. And it is none other then the long lost, Chiron raised Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Percy Jackson or any of their characters, ok?
1. Chapter 1

**Champion Of The Pantheon**

**Summary: A champion for the Pantheon is chosen by the Goblet Of Fire. And it is none other then the long lost, Chiron raised Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Percy Jackson or any of their characters, ok?**

**Chapter 1: The Fourth Champion**

"Representing the Pantheon, Harry Potter."

Dumbledore's hand shook as he read the slip of paper ejected by the Goblet Of Fire after the third and supposedly final participant of the Tri-Wizard Tournament had been selected. This was definitely NOT the manner in which he wanted his nephew to be re-introduced to the Wizarding World if he ever chose to return. But his hand had been forced by the unseen enemy.

And to make matters worse, the enemy seem to be somewhat aware of Harry's heritage if he were to go by the wording in the slip of paper he was holding.

Only a select few knew of Harry's divine lineage as well as his own. That had been the very reason he opted to send him across the oceans after the deaths of his parents (or technically just one of his parents. The other one was just forced to abandon his mortal form) to a certain camp run by his own former combat instructor. It was to both protect him and prepare his for his destiny. So how the opposition discovered it was still a mystery to him.

So preoccupied was Dumbledore in his dilemma that he failed to notice the sudden appearance and subsequent disturbance that the owner of the name in the controversial piece of paper was making.

"Who are you and how did you bloody get into Hogwarts? Watch out! He's armed with a sword! Aurors arrest the intruder!"

"Hey! Keep the hell away from me before I run you through like a barbeque. I'm not moving an inch until someone tells me where the hell I am and how the fuck I got here. I swear that if this is one of Dad's damned pranks, I'll..."

The rest of the words that were spoken was in greek which nobody but Dumbledore understood and quite explicit in nature.

But then again, Dumbledore and quite possibly the stern deputy Headmistress judging by the expression on her face, were the only ones in attendance who recognized who the speaker was. They were, after all, the ones who delivered him to the overseas camp. They were also one of the few who actively blocked demands from various sectors to know where the 'The-Boy-Who-Live' was hidden away.

But now it would seem that they found a way to bring him back into the spotlight. And there was little that Dumbledore or McGonagall could do about it.

Current crisis aside though, it was good to hear Harry's voice. They had very few opportunities to actually visit the boy over the years and floo calls and mail via Fawkes were never enough.

And it was still rather ironic that despite the fact that he was raised by one of the most polite beings in the world, he STILL had a mouth that would put most sailors to shame.

Knowing the nature of the camp Harry lived in, the Headmaster decides to intervene before he truly did run someone through in self defense. Walking towards the source of the disturbance, he sees a handful of red robed aurors surrounding a shorter figure wearing what seems to be a greek styled helmet, arm bracers, greaves and breastplate over a shirt and jeans and wielding a short, sword and a round, bronze colored shield.

"Aurors stand down!" Dumbledore calls out. "He is not a threat to anybody here."

"Are you mad Albus?" A thin, gaunt man with a short mustache demanded. "An armed intruder apparating into Hogwarts and you say he is not a threat?"

"Uncle Albus? Aunt Minnie?" The armored figure asks suddenly. "Whats going on here?"

"Yes it is indeed us my boy. Now if you'll put away your weapons, I can assure you that all will be explained in due time."

Dumbledore then faces the gaunt man. "Ask your aurors to stand down Barty. As I've said, he is no threat to anyone unless you are foolish enough to attack him first. And even then, I can assure you that anyone who does so will most certainly regret their actions."

Reluctantly, the man gives the order and the aurors lower their wands and step away from Harry. Only then did he drop his guard. He sheaths his sword and removes his helmet and tucking it under his right arm, revealing a youthful face wearing a pair of horn rimmed glasses which only served to intensify his bright green eyes and had a messy mop of black hair which he brushes back, exposing a lightning bolt shaped scar on the right part of his forehead.

He then walks up to Dumbledore and McGonagall and, much to the surprise of everyone present, hugs them both in turn.

"Its been a while Uncle Albus. Aunt Minnie." Harry said with a smile.

"Indeed it has Harry. Two years to be exact." McGonagall said, smiling kindly at the young man who was the son of two of her best students and close friends. "You are looking healthy."

"We heard about that crisis in Manhattan and must apologize for not being able to send assistance as we were dealing with a crisis of our own." Dumbledore said. "Is Chiron doing well?"

"As well as can be expected Uncle. Still kicking our collective asses figuratively AND literally." Harry said with a grin. "Can't complain about the results though."

The gaunt man called Barty growls impatiently and rudely interrupts the small reunion. "Yes yes... Save your reunion for later. Lets continue on with this, shall we?

"Amazing. Simply amazing." Another man in what looked like a bright yellow with black stripes wizarding version of a jersey said. Judging from his still square jawed and broad shouldered appearance, he seemed to have been an athlete in his younger days but now simply looked washed up. "Now we have to go inform the other schools of Mr. Potter's participation in this tournament."

Harry turns his gaze towards the man called Barty and the second man, causing them to twitch uncomfortably before looking back at Dumbledore and McGonagall. "What's this all about anyways?"

The Headmaster gestures ahead. "Walk with me and I'll explain along the way." The leave amidst the whispers from the students in the Great Hall and as they walked towards the small antechamber where the other champions were, Dumbledore gives him a brief overview of the Tri-Wizard tournament.

Needless to say, by the time Harry entered the antechamber, he was severely unimpressed.

"Okay then. To summarize, my name came out of that oversized wineglass back there..." Harry started as they drew near to the room.

"Its a goblet Harry." McGonagall corrected dryly.

"Same difference." He said absently before continuing. "...To compete as a participant in a possibly life threatening tournament of which I haven't heard before in a school of which this is the first time I've been in? Excuse me but doesn't that sound like a goddamned setup to you?"

"Language Harry." Dumbledore mildly rebuked.

"Sorry." Harry mutters, sounding properly chastised.''

"But you are essentially correct down to the last point." Dumbledore allowed. "It is rather perplexing how your name came out of the goblet when you weren't even present to place your name in it. And even if you were, the ageline ward would not allow it."

As the party entered the room, the yellow clad wizard took the time to announce Harry's participation in the tournament. Harry of course, was not happy about the wizard's declaration because it essentially painted a huge target on his back and made his opinion known.

"Hey! Blondie!"

"My name is Ludo Bagman." The elder man said.

"I don't care. What are you stupid or something?" Harry demanded. "Read my lips Ludo Bag-Of-Shit. I... AM... NOT... A... CHAMPION... OF... THIS... GODDAMNED... TOURNAMENT."

Unfortunately for Harry, it did little to change the opinion of the others in the room.

"What iz zis Dumbly-dor? Do you honestly expect us to believe zat you had no part in ze inclusion of a leetle boy long missing from your country in a tournament your school iz hosting?" The massive headmistress of Beauxbatons, Madame Maxine said. "Ces't impossible."

"I agree with Madame Maxine." The Durmstrang headmaster, Kakkarof rumbled. "The way I see it, Hogwarts decided to improve it's chances by fielding not one but TWO champions under the pretense that the second champion is competing under this... 'Pantheon'. And to make things worse, the second champion is Magical Britain's 'Golden Boy' which in itself is already suspicious enough. If that is the case, I demand that both our schools be allowed to field in another champion. It's only fair."

"We at Hogwarts had NOTHING to do with this debacle." The dark haired Potion Master of Hogwarts, Severus Snape drawled before sneering at Harry. "If anyone is to blame, I believe it is the boy's own doing. He's just like his arrogant, gloryhound of a fa..."

Snape didn't get the chance to finish what he was saying. Faster then the eye could see, Harry had drawn his sword and pointed it at the Potions Master who was shocked into silence.

"I don't know you buddy. But if you finish that sentence, you can be damned sure that I'm cutting something off. If there's something that I will NEVER accept, its people badmouthing my family." Harry said coldly before swinging his sword around to point at the rest of the occupants who, except for Dumbledore and McGonagall, were warily eyeing him.

"And as for the rest of you, are you guys fucking retarded? Why in the hell would I willingly put myself in a life threatening situation in a tournament I don't even know about?" He stated, before re-sheathing his sword. "As far as I'm concerned, you can have this tournament coz I sure as hell don't want any part in this."

"Now see here..." Bagman started to bluster before Harry cuts him off with a vicious look.

"Shut it blondie." Harry snarls. "This entire thing is a damned joke and I'm not going to be a part of it."

"But you have to compete! You are bound by the contract." Barty insisted, causing Harry to turn his attention to him.

"Contract? What are you talking about? I never signed any contract for this." Harry said before asking. "And who are you anyway? You seem to know an awful lot about this tournament?"

"My name is Barty Crouch and I'm the head of both the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Department of International Magical Cooperation. And I know a lot because I'm in charge of the tournament." Barty identified himself. "The moment your name came out of the goblet, you were bound by a magical contract to compete in the tournament. No exceptions."

"I see. I don't suppose YOU know how my name came out of the goblet?" Harry asked in a steely voice while fingering his sheathed sword.

"Of course not. And it does not matter now." Crouch said defensively. "You WILL compete or you will lose your magic."

Harry grew silent for a few moments at Crouch's statement before suddenly laughing out long and hard. "Bwahahahaha! Lose my... Hahahaha! Oh that's a good one... Lose my magic? Oh my gut..."

"What in Merlin's name are you finding amusing boy?" Crouch demanded, growing peeved that Harry seemed to be laughing at him but succeeded in only making him laugh harder.

"You will have to forgive Harry but it is not really his fault that he is acting this way." Dumbledore smoothly interjected. "After all, it is rather difficult to 'lose' your magic when magic counts you as one of her kin."

Crouch stares at Dumbledore in confusion before asking. "What are you babbling about Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore crosses over and places a hand on Harry's shoulder. At this point, revealing Harry's heritage seems to be the only option if he wanted to keep him safe. "I am saying that Hecate who is the Goddess of Witchcraft and Magic counts Harry James Potter as one of her kin." He said with a serene smile. "And that Harry James Potter himself is the son of the Messenger God, Hermes."

Author's Notes: Something new for you guys. Please R&amp;R. Thanks :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Return Of A Demigod**

_Previously: "Harry is the son of the messenger god, Hermes."_

Everyone grew silent at Dumbledore's declaration. A few moments later, the room explodes. Everyone bent on denying the headmaster's pronouncement.

But none more admanant then Crouch himself.

"What are you babbling about Dumbledore? The son of Hermes? Preposterous!" Crouch said derisively. "Mr. Potter is a wizard just like everyone else here even if he himself does not know it yet and as such, is subject to the rules of the tournament."

"A wizard who hasn't been living in our society for more then a decade." McGonagall reminded him.

"And whose fault is that? Believe me when I say that we will be getting to the bottom of that." Crouch shot back. "That won't matter because he will STILL compete."

"Then I suppose it would be a stretch for you to believe that I myself am a child of Hecate herself?" Dumbledore asks dryly.

"You truly are growing senile, Dumbledore. Of course I do not believe you." Crouch sneered. "Let me make myself perfectly clear. The gods of Olympus... DO... NOT... EXIST!"

Just as Crouch says this, howling winds started gathering black clouds high above the castle and lightning flashes angrily across the darkened skies. At the same time, the earth rumbles loudly and cracks open beneath them and the Black Lake that surrounded the castle started furiously churning. The girl with Madame Maxine screams in fear at what she was witnessing while the others were looking around in panic.

"Wow! Way to go pissing off the Big Three of the Pantheon dumbass!" Harry said lightly, the only one apart from Dumbledore who looked utterly unconcerned at the near apocalyptic phenomenon going on just outside the castle walls. "I think this is the first time in a long, long while that Zeus, Poseidon and Hades got along for something."

"Merlin help us." Bagman whimpered in fear.

Crouch grabs Harry by both shoulders and demands. "How are you doing this boy? HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS?"

"Alright. First off, I'm not the one doing this. Its those three cooperating together." Harry said stonily before looking at Crouch's hand which was still grabbing him by the shoulders. "And secondly, get your goddamned mitts of me before I do something you'll regret."

"A likely story. I KNOW that you and Dumbledore are responsible for this hoax. Cease this at once!" Crouch orders.

Harry glances incredilously at Dumbledore mouthing hoax and gets a shrug in response. He sighs in resignation and says. "Don't say I didn't warn you asshole." He said before locking both of Crouch's arms with his own, pivots and slams him to the ground with a neat judo throw.

Crouch had a look of shock as he layed on the ground looking up at the expressionless face of the Boy-Who-Lived. How dare he! He was an official of the Ministry Of Magic. How dare he throw him around like a bag of garbage. He will not stand for this.

Scrambling clumsily back to his feet, Crouch draws his wand and aims at Harry, fully intending to hex him.

But nothing happens.

Crouch tries again but still nothing happens.

"W-What? What is this?" Crouch stammers, looking at his wand in shock. "Why can't I use my magic?"

"Oh dear. It would seem like Zeus, Poseidon and Hades are not the only ones you've upset Barty." Dumbledore mused. "I don't think mother liked what you said either."

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME DUMBLEDORE? RETURN MY MAGIC THIS INSTANCE!" Crouch screams.

"I'm afraid that it is not mine to return Barty." Dumbledore said, all humor gone from his grandfatherly features as he watches Crouch sink to his knees in despair. "You've incurred the wrath of the Pantheon with what you've said and are now paying the price for it. I'd like to say that I sympathize with your plight but you DID insult members of my family so I'd be lying if I did."

The Headmaster then turns to Harry. "Harry? If you would be so kind? I believe that Mr. Crouch's punishment is sufficient so there is no need to destroy Hogwarts to prove their point." He instructs his nephew, shocking everyone present at his rather cavelier attitude about the whole situation.

Harry nods and walks over to the nearest window and sticks his head out for a few moments before sticking it back in and shutting it. Outside the castle, the black cloud dissipates, the rumbling of the earth vanishes with the cracks and the Black Lake calms.

Its as if nothing ever happened.

"It all stopped." The female champion from Beauxbatons mutters in wonder before looking at Harry with a healthy flush on her pretty features.

"W... What is he?" Kakaroff whispers fearfully. If this was the power that the Dark Lord was to face, he had NO wish to be anywhere near them when they finally confronted and battled each other.

"S-So its true?" Bagman whispers fearfully.

Snape was having difficulty reconciling with the fact that his hated enemy, James Potter was actually a god of Olympus. But thinking back, it all made sense to him. How else could he have gotten away with all the things that he did.

And now, his spawn was competing as the fourth champion in the tournament and attacking him even indirectly seemed like less and less of a good idea if he had to go by what happened to Crouch.

"Ok. Now that we've established that I WON'T lose my magic if I don't compete, I think its time I get back to the camp." Harry said. "We were in the middle of a game of Capture The Flag and I'm NOT letting the Ares cabin get the win now."

"You still have to compete."

Harry turned to Crouch who was still on his knees. "What was that?" He asks dispassionately.

"I said you still have to compete." Crouch said, sounding absolutely devastated. "Your magic may not be taken away but your non participation will put the other champions at risk."

Harry's temper flares at this. He marches over to Crouch and easily lifts him up by the lapels of his suit despite being bigger then the boy. "Explain. And for your sake, it better be a damned good one." He growls.

"If one champion does not compete, the inherent magic of the Goblet will take away the participant's magic as per the magical contract." Crouch explains. "But seeing as the Goblet is such a powerful artifact, the magic of one individual may not be enough and it may take more from the other champions. And since as you are not affected by the contract..."

"It'll take it's prescribed toll off of the other champions instead. Just WONDERFUL. WHAT THE FUCK KINDA" TOURNAMENT ARE YOU ASSHOLES RUNNING HERE ANYWAYS?!" Harry finished angrily, at which Crouch feels himself being tossed back onto the ground in disgust. Harry then stomps away to try and regain some semblance of control to himself.

"T-That's insane." Cedric Diggory who had been a silent spectator all this time made his feelings known. His head of house stood nearby with a hand over her mouth in distress.

"Merde..." The french champion whispers.

"This is outrageous!" The Durmstrang headmaster bellows. "We were never informed of this!" His ward Victor Krum who had also been a silent competitor also looked dangerously upset at Crouch's revelation.

"Neither were we." A paling McGonagall stated before she turned her gaze at Dumbledore whose normally twinkly blue eyes were now chips of ice behind his glasses as he stares at Crouch.

"Which begs the question Barty. When were you going to inform us about this?" Dumbledore asks almost too calmly.

"We never expected anyone refusing to compete. Being a Champion in the Tri-Wizard Tournament has always been an honor!" Crouch defended himself.

"Not at ze cost of our ward's magic!" Madame Maxine stated angrily, looking like she wanted to rip the poor man in two with her bare hands. "Dumblydor! You have to do something!"

"My sincerest apologies Madame Maxine but Hogwarts was only tasked with hosting the event." Dumbledore said regretfully, never taking his eyes off Crouch. "Had I known about this beforehand, I would have NEVER allowed them to revive the tournament in my capacity as Chief Warlock."

"Dumbledore is not to blame here. Its whoever put my name in that damned goblet in the first place." Harry's voice cuts in. Everyone looks over to where the boy was standing as he stared out the window. "As I've said, this is all a blasted setup to get me here and I'm going to find out who did it and kick his ass. If that means competing in this farce, then so be it."

"Harry..." Dumbledore starts but Harry interrupts.

"No Uncle Albus. We all have an idea who the culprit is and I'm done hiding. And I can't risk the safety of the other champions by my non participation." Harry said before his expression softens. "You and the others did your part and I'm grateful for it. Now let me do mine and end this before things escalate."

Dumbledore couldn't help but feel proud of his nephew. But at the same time, he STILL feared for his safety. After all, the Dark Lord and his forces were no laughing matter even with all the preparation Harry has had.

But Dumbledore resolved to do everything in his considerable power to assist him in his endeavor, the rules be damned. He was family after all and family always stood by each other no matter what.

**...**

After going to his uncle's office and asking for his Phoenix familiar Fawkes's assistance in delivering a letter to Chiron, McGonagall leads Harry towards one of the guest rooms in the castle. Before he enters the room though, the stern Deputy Headmistress touches his shoulder to get his attention.

"It took a lot of courage to do what you did back there and know that your parents would have been very proud of you Harry." McGonagall said with a rare smile.

"Don't be Aunt Minnie. It was the right thing to do so I shouldn't get any accolades for it." Harry stated.

"They STILL would have been proud of you nonetheless. As are me and Albus." McGonagall stated before adding mischievously. "On the other hand, your mother would have tanned your hide for developing such a vulgar vocabulary."

Harry had to crack a grin at this. "That's probably true too. Blame TV and movies for it. Good night then Aunt Minnie. See you tomorrow." He said entering the room.

"Good night Harry." McGonagall said as she walks away.

Setting aside his armor and weapons, Harry lies down on the lone bed in the modestly furnished bedroom and wonders exactly what sort of events he was supposed to compete in during the tournament. He wasn't that worried if it were a physical task as he knew he was fit enough to tackle any challenge. It was the magical aspect which concerned him.

As he was mulling over his options, Fawkes flames in carrying what seemed to be his backpack from the camp.

"Have a good trip Fawkes?" Harry greets as he retrieves his bag from the phoenix who thrills a reply.

"Good to know Chiron is on top of things. Thanks for bringing me my stuff." Harry said. The Phoenix thrills its response and flames away, leaving Harry to rummage around his backpack.

"Good. It looks like all my stuff is here and... What the fuck?" Tucked in his bag together with his personal belongings is a scroll which Harry recognized as the kind which contained a quest of some sort.

But that couldn't be right could it? There was supposed to be a prophecy involved when undergoing a quest. And the only prophecy he knew of was...

His hand shook as he opened the scroll and understood why it was delivered to him.

_In the trials of the champions called_

_You shall encounter evil's completed soul_

_For when the Dark Lord rises from the boneyard's toll_

_One shall stand and one shall fall_

Voldemort was returning and one way or another, one of them was going to die.

Author's Notes: Chapter two of the new fic for you. Go do what you gotta do guys :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Power Play**

_Previously: Voldemort was coming back and one way or another, one of them was going to die._

Harry woke up early next morning and as per his everyday habit back in the camp, went for his usual morning run and calisthenics wearing a hooded sweatsuit, jogging pants and a sturdy pair of running shoes. And everywhere he went around the castle, the students can be seen gawking at him or whispering amongst themselves at the unusual sight (at least to them) of someone actually doing some sort of physical activity so early in the morning.

Harry ignored them of course and focused on his own training. After which, he goes back to his assigned room to take a bath and dresses up in a gray, long sleeved shirt, jeans and his favorite pair of sneakers and dons a leather jacket as it was rather cold in Hogwarts. After putting a few more items in his pocket, he waits for McGonagall who picks him up to take him to the Main Hall for breakfast.

His arrival in the Main Hall was also met with a lot of gawking, calculating looks and whispers from the students. So much so that it was starting to get annoying.

"What's the matter with you people? It's like you haven't seen someone come in here for breakfast before!" He said loudly. This effectively prompts the students to go back minding their own business.

Satisfied that he had diverted the attention away from him for the moment, Harry walks up to the Faculty's table to say good morning to his uncle. And as he was walking over, he notes that a number of the instructors were watching him closely. In particular, the greasy bat from yesterday, a little mustachioed midget, a huge hairy giant and a creepy looking guy with an actual moving artificial eye whose face looked like a wild animal chewed on it.

"Good morning Uncle Albus." He greeted the Headmaster.

"Good morning Harry. I trust you have slept well?" Albus greeted back.

"A little cold but it was alright." Harry said with a smile.

"Excellent. Now seeing that Gryffindor House is the only one without a Champion in their presence, maybe you could join them for breakfast." Dumbledore said, gesturing towards a table whose occupants wore black robes with red and gold trim. Harry nods in assent and walks over to the table.

"My word... Is that...?" The midget who was the half goblin Charms professor and Head of the house of Ravenclaw, Filius Flitwick squeaks.

"Indeed it is Filius. That is Harry Potter." Dumbledore said. "The son of James and Lily Potter."

"That's 'Arry? The last time I saw him, he was nothin' more then a wee babe." The giant who was Hogwart's Groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid said. "Where has he been all this time, Professor?"

"He has been safe Hagrid. As he should have been." McGonagall answered for Dumbledore. "And if I had it my way, he would not be involved in this."

"But he is now." The scarred man who was Hogwarts's new DADA professor rumbled. "I don't know how or why but the Dark Lord somehow found a way to confound the goblet to include him in the tournament for whatever purpose he may have. He wasn't given a choice on the matter."

"I'm afraid you're wrong Alastor. Harry DID have a choice" Dumbledore corrected him. "He could have walked away but he simply didn't want anybody else to suffer if he made the decision not to participate so here he is." Before the man identified as Alastor Moody could ask, Dumbledore raises his hand to stop him. "All will be explained in our meeting Alastor. But for now let us have our breakfast in relative peace first."

Deciding not to push the issue further, Moody settles for watching the Boy-Who-Lived as he approached the Gryffindor table.

**...**

Neville Longbottom was sorted to Gryffindor but had to learn to be brave the hard way.

Once thought to be a squib by his family due to his lack of magical ability, it took Uncle Algie purposely dropping him from a window for him to achieve his first bout of accidental magic. But even after that, his family STILL never thought of him as anything more then a failure.

So when his letter from Hogwarts came, he was ecstatic. He thought he could finally prove himself as a true wizard to his family and be someone they could be proud of.

Easier said then done.

Despite being sorted into the house of the brave, Neville's meek unassertive nature and the pressure of trying to live up to the legacy of his parents who were driven mad by Bellatrix Lestrange via Crucio held him back. He was extremely clumsy, easily bullied, a disaster at Potions and at best, sub-par in his other subjects except for Herbology.

In short, he was a joke and nobody really took him seriously.

That is until Halloweens Eve three years ago.

During the Annual Halloweens Feast, their DADA professor back then named Quirrel had ran into the room declaring that there was mountain troll on the loose in the school before promptly fainting.

There was certainly panic back then but nobody doing it more so then Neville. The reason for this was one of his friends, Hermione Granger had a row with another friend, Ron Weasley for allegedly being such a 'know-it-all', after which the girl had run off to the bathroom crying because of that row and had yet to return. So he did the only thing he could do under the circumstances, he forcibly drags Ron Weasley with him to go look for the bookish Gryffindor girl before the troll finds her.

They did eventually find Hermione who locked herself in a toilet stall in the girl's bathroom. Unfortunately for them, the troll also finds them there trying to convince her to come out and leave with them.

To his own surprise, Neville stood his ground against the troll and with a little help from Ron and Hermione, even managed to knock it unconscious by levitating and dropping its own club on its head though he suffered a number of injuries in the fight which included a broken leg, cracked ribs and a concussion.

All in all, he could have been far worse off. While he was distressed that he had missed so much of his classes while he was laid out in the infirmary, he was NOT distressed to know that he had missed the succeeding events preceeding the troll incident which culminated in a battle between Dumbledore and Quirrel whom, Hermione had informed him, had apparently been possessed by Voldemort. Honestly speaking, the thought of two of the most powerful wizards he knew dueling in front of the entire school still terrified him.

Neville was cited for his outstanding bravery by Dumbledore himself during the Closing Feast of his first year which earned Gryffindor the House Cup. He FINALLY had done something that his family could be proud of. Even Gran had to admit that.

But Neville's adventures did not stop there.

Second year brought a whole new set of challenge when a series of mysterious attacks left students and faculty petrified in the school and opening of the Chamber Of Secrets prompted the ministry to arrest his giant frient Hagrid. Those coupled with the addition of their new (But STILL useless) celebrity DADA professor Gilderoy Lockhart left Neville wondering if he'd actually survive this year.

But luck seemed to be on the young Longbottom heir's side as he had chanced upon one of the newest member of Gryffindor Ginny Weasley entering what looked like a trap door inside the girl's bathroom in a daze. He manages to follow the youngest Weasley through the trapdoor and finds himself in the Chamber Of Secrets where he discovers the reason for her unusual behavior. Another case of possession which in this instance was because of a mysterious diary that she had been writing on for some days now.

It was also here that Neville discovered another horrifying secret when a spectre from the diary named Tom Riddle identified himself as Voldemort and that he was the Heir Of Slytherin trying to get a new body using the cursed diary Ginny had.

Of course, Neville had openly declared that he would stop him somehow which, in retrospect, probably wasn't one of his smartest ideas because Riddle responded by summoning the Basilisk which had been responsible for the numerous attacks in the school to kill him while he completed the ritual which would transfer his soul into Ginny's body.

Fortunately for Neville, Dumbledore had managed to locate him after members of the Gryffindor house had informed the old wizard of Neville's absence and teleports into the chamber using Fawkes to save him. And after the Headmaster ends the Basilisk's reign of terror on the school by killing it, he instructs Neville to remove one of its fangs and stab the diary with it, destroying the accursed object and banishing the spectre that had been Tom Riddle thus saving Ginny from what could have been a horrendous fate.

By the time his second year was ending, Neville was starting to regret wanting to stand out amongst his peers. All he wanted was a little acknowledgment for his efforts but instead, people were starting to think that he was the true Boy-Who-Lived due to his exploits. A title which he neither wanted nor needed.

His third year proved to be no less dangerous then his first two. Not only did he have to deal with the rumors that wanted felon Sirius Black was coming to Hogwarts for his head, there was also the Dementors assigned by the Ministry to 'guard' the school and had almost killed him on two separate occasions.

There were a few bright spots during that year though. One was the hiring of an actual competent professor of DADA to replace the ponce teaching the class previously who had been arrested for fraud and illegal use of the Obliviation spell. His replacement was a rumpled looking wizard named Remus Lupin who was far more skilled then his appearance suggested. Another one was him being accepted into the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a reserve keeper which had done wonders to his self confidence.

But of course, no year in Neville Longbottom's tenure in Hogwarts was complete without some sort of life threatening scenario which, in this case, came in the form of Sirius Black's mysterious attack on the Gryffindor dorm and his subsequent appearance in the Shrieking Shack together with his accomplice Professor Lupin which Neville, Hermione and Ron had been investigating.

But it was also there that Black and Lupin revealed the true reason for their return to Hogwarts. And it was the capture of their former friend Peter Pettigrew who was the actual Secret Keeper of the Potter family and illegal animagus who had been in hiding as the Weasley family rat, Scabbers.

But their capture of the traitor was interrupted by Snape who had followed the three students to Shrieking Shack and had angrily confronted both Black and Lupin. He was quickly stunned in unconsciousness and restrained but Pettigrew took advantage of the chaos to escape.

It was then that Neville bore witness to one of the most terrifying sights in his life. The transformation of Professor Lupin into a werewolf. It would seem that in his haste in wanting to capture Pettigrew, Lupin failed to take into account that tonight was the full moon. Now his failure to capture the traitor coupled with the fact that he was not able to take his Wolfsbane potion sent him over the edge. But fortunately, Black in his animagus form of a grim provided enough of a distraction for the three students to escape.

Soon after, the Dementors were recalled and Dumbledore revealed at the ending feast that Sirius Black was acquitted of all his crimes when evidence surfaced that he was NOT the Potter's secret keeper. But the bad news was that Professor Lupin would be resigning from his post due to the fact that he had been revealed as a werewolf.

All in all, it had been another danger filled school year and Neville could only sigh in relief that he was once again spared a gruesome death.

So when the fourth year came and the announcement that the highly dangerous Triwizard Tournament was coming to Hogwarts, Neville was fairly certain that this was what was finally going to kill him.

To his relief, none of the first three name to come out of the Goblet Of Fire was his. But when the goblet flared for a fourth and final time, he felt a sense of impending doom till the name was announced.

Harry Potter.

Now there was a name that he hadn't heard of for a while. Gran often told him stories of the brave Potter family and their alliance with the Longbottoms. Their ties was so close that he and Harry Potter was supposed to be godbrothers. But James and Lily Potter had been killed by Voldemort who, in turn, was somehow killed by the infant Harry Potter before disappearing from the face of the Wizarding World for fifteen years.

Till now.

"Excuse me. Is this seat taken?"

Neville looks up, startled by the fact that he didn't even sense the object of his musings walk up to him at the Gryffindor table.

"N-No it's not. Go right ahead." Neville said, moving over. The other members of the Gryffindor house could only openly gape as Harry nods gratefully and sits besides Neville, looking at the generous feast that was prepared for breakfast.

"Quite a spread you've got here..." Harry stated as he started helping himself to some food before he realized he didn't bother asking for the kid's name which, in retrospect, seemed a bit rude. "...I'm sorry. Where are my manners. The name's Harold James Potter. Just call me Harry though Mister...?" Harry prompted offering a hand.

"Longbottom." Nevile answered, shaking the proffered hand. "Neville Francis Longbottom. Call me Neville."

"Nice to meet you Neville." Harry said with a smile, noting that Neville's hands were rough and his grip firm which meant this guy seems to be the hands on kind of guy. "Hmm... My godfather said that my other godparents were Longbottoms. I don't supposed you're related to them, are you?"

"They're my parents which makes me your godbrother." Neville said before his face fell. "Unfortunately, they were one of the casualties during the last war."

Harry looked somber at is. "Dammit. Sorry to hear that Neville. And sorry for bringing up bad memories."

Neville shook his head in response. "Don't worry about it. The perpetrators are rotting in Azkaban for it now." He then gestures towards his companions in the table. "I don't believe you've also met my other friends from Gryffindor."

Harry was then introduced to the rest of the Gryffindor house. Notable among them were four members of the Weasley Clan which included the twins fun loving twins George and Fred (Though they insisted on Harry to call them Gred and Forge), the Quidditch crazy (Or at least, according to the twins, Chudley Cannons crazy) Ron as well as the youngest of the brood named Ginny whose fiery red hair reminded Harry of his mom in the pictures he'd seen while she was younger. Then there's Hermione Granger. A student who, Neville informed him, was probably the smartest witch of her age and if he ever needed some information, she was the person to talk to which Harry mentally resolved to do if he was going to prepare for this crazy tournament.

He was also introduced to a myriad of other students such as the excitable Creevy brothers, Colin and Dennis (Though Harry preferred to call them Creepy brothers since both seemed to demonstrate stalkerish behavior especially with that camera), Gryffindor's resident gossips Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil (Who had a twin in Ravenclaw House), Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet who were all chasers in the Gryffindor Quidditch house team, Lee Jordan who was the Quidditch game announcer, the irishman Seamus Finnegan and the artistic (at least according to him) Dean Thomas.

But as Harry was busy mingling with the Gryffindor house, an unwelcome presence makes itself known.

"Wow squib. Looks like you've got yourself a new friend. And look who it is. None other then the Boy-Who-Fled." A snooty voice said, followed by derisive laughs.

Neville had to close his eyes and count to ten to compose himself. If there was another constant in his life here at Hogwarts, it was Slytherin's Draco Malfoy and his miscreants. They were bullies of the highest order who got away with practically everything since their head of house Snape lets them get away with it and undermined him and his group every step of the way.

"Go away Malfoy. Nobody wants you here." Ron snarls at the intruder.

"You can't make me Weasley. You KNOW you'll get in trouble for even looking at me wrong." Draco said. "I came here to see for myself how special Harry Potter is and I have to say I'm a bit disappointed. Cavorting with mudbloods, squibs and Blood Traitors Potter? I thought better of you."

For his part, Harry slowly turns his head to look at the speaker. The kid that they called Draco Malfoy was blonde haired dick whose sneer made him seem constipated. His companions were no better since both lumbering boys who were shadowing Draco looked dumber then bricks and the sole girl of the group reminded him of a pug with her upturned nose.

"I'm sorry but do I know you?" Harry asks, deciding to go with being civil just to give him a chance.

"My name is Draco Malfoy and you, Harry Potter, are associating yourself with all the wrong sorts just like your father did with your mudblood mother." Draco stated snidely.

There were gasps around the Gryffindor table and murderous looks were thrown at the Slytherin contingent. Harry's expression grew chillingly cold at Draco's statement.

"Is that so?" Harry drawled and sounded deceptively calm. Neville knew better though and began to edge further away from him in fear. Relatively brave as he was, he wasn't foolish enough to interject himself in this situation either. Not when there was a palpable aura of violence around Harry which Draco was unaware of. And it appeared that the rest Gryffindor picked up on this and gave Harry a wide berth. "Would you maybe like to reconsider your words?"

"What for? I'm simply telling the truth. Bad enough you've got your mudblood mother's running through your veins. Your reintroduction to the Wizarding world shouldn't be with all this rabble. It should be with pureblood families like mine. I can help you with that." Draco said offering his hand.

Harry looks at the proffered hand for a moment before shaking it with a wide smile. Draco suddenly cries out in pain and drops to his knees with his hand still in Harry's crushing grip. Immediately, the rest of Draco's companions draw their wands and points it at Harry only for all of the occupants of the Gryffindor table stand up and point THEIR wands at them.

Ignoring the standoff, Harry kneels on one knee in front of Draco while still holding on to his hand. "You know something Draco? Normally, I'd ignore anything you'd say because you seem like the type of guy who likes to spew all kinds of shit from your mouth on a regular basis. Besides that, you're just a goddamned kid as well and it doesn't sit well with me to have to put the smackdown on a minor. But here's a little sample of exactly what I'd do to you if you call ANY of my family names again." A loud crack and one girlish scream later, Draco is in a fetal position on the floor as he clutched his broken hand. Snape was quickly besides him and looked up at a stony Harry Potter with hateful eyes.

"How dare you Potter! You're just like your useless git of a father. I'll see you a..." Without warning, Harry drew back and delivers a devastating right cross which dumps the potion master on his ass and breaks his hooked nose. Snape looks up at Harry with shock as he tried to staunch the bleeding of his nose.

"I've warned you before but you didn't listen greaseball. I don't take shit from anybody ESPECIALLY if it involves my family. You're damned lucky I don't have my sword right now." Harry said coldly.

Before things could escalate between the two, Dumbledore quickly intervenes. "Stop this right now everyone. Harry! Stand down!" He orders, forcing the bespectacled teen to reluctantly back down looking abashed and the dueling houses to lower their wands. "I'm ashamed of you! You should have better control then this no matter what anybody say."

The Headmaster then turns his attention to Snape who looked distinctly nervous. "And as for you Professor Snape, I too have warned you against antagonizing Mister Potter but you chose not to heed my warning. Clearly I have given you too much leeway and your negligence shows in the appalling behavior of your snakes. 100 points and one month detention for Slytherin and Mister Malfoy for antagonizing a guest of Hogwarts."

"W-What about P-Potter..." Malfoy gritted out, glaring at Harry.

"He shall also be punished for his actions but it shall not be Hogwarts handing out his punishments." Dumbledore informs him. "And he shall apologize for injuring both you and Professor Snape."

Harry seemed mutinous at this but Dumbledore gives him a look and Harry sighs in resignation before facing the two injured parties. "I apologize that our confrontation had to result in me hurting you two. But I don't regret my actions because you had it coming. It may be acceptable behavior here to bully and insult people but it's NOT to me and if a person crosses the line, then you can be damned sure that I'll be dealing with it in my own way. Not your school's way but MY own way."

He then faces the other students in the hall. "You know something? I was actually content to just coast through this entire charade in order to give the rightful champions their rightful shot at this thing. But I can see that a lot of you guys here don't think I can actually do it because I'm some sort of outsider, right? Well screw all of you then. You want my best? I'll give you my best."

Harry then smiles ferally. "And I can think of no better way to stick it to the guy who got me involved here in the first place then to win the Triwizard Tournament."

Author's Notes: New chappie out. Your turn guys. P.S. You might want to reread the first couple of chapters as I did a few tweaks to the story :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: The Pantheon Cometh**

_Previously: "And I can think of no better way to stick it to the guy who got me involved here in the first place then to win the Triwizard Tournament."_

The spy was enraged. His perfectly crafted plan to sacrifice the Boy-Who-Lived to his master was slowly falling to pieces. He had thought that the boy would be weak and untrained since he was raised outside of the wizarding world and that rumors of his divine heritage was just that. Rumors.

But instead, he gets a formidable young man trained in physical combat and who truly seem to have divine blood flowing through his veins.

On a positive note though, this was also an unexpected boon for him. If he were to use the boy's blood in the ritual which would resurrect his master, then the dark lord would be more powerful then ever and he would be richly rewarded for his loyalty and efforts.

The spy would need to adjust his plans accordingly.

**...**

Harry was pissed as he sat back down to finish his meal. He hadn't meant to fly off the handle like he did and cause a scene in the Great Hall. As a matter of fact, it was the last thing he wanted to do.

But that little blonde prick and the greasy bat just couldn't take a hint and made things personal and he let his temper get the better of him. It was damned lucky too that he decided NOT to bring his weapons too or else things would have gotten real messy and more permanent. Not that what he did was any less violent.

So now, it would seem like he was gonna be in trouble with whoever the hell was going to get stuck with him here while he competed in this godforsaken tournament representing the 'Pantheon' and it wasn't even twenty four hours yet.

"That was wicked mate. Way to show those evil slimy snakes." The guy called Ron Weasley said to him after a while.

"Evil slimy snakes?" Harry repeated quizzically. It was the girl Hermione who enlightened him.

"I believe Ron is alluding to the fact that Professor Snape and Draco are both members of the Slytherin. Every house in Hogwarts has their own guardian beast such as ravens for Ravenclaw, Badgers for Hufflepuff and Lions for Gryffindor. Slytherin's guardian beast happens to be a snake." Hermione said, looking disapprovingly at Harry. "And while it was good to see them knocked down a few pegs, I can't say I approve of the manner you accomplished the task. That is simply not the way we do things here."

"You may have forgotten that I'm NOT a student of Hogwarts Miss Granger." Harry said bluntly. "Besides, I think you'll find that my response to their insults to my family is rather tame considering where I came from. Wars and blood feuds have been started for much less then that."

"But you broke Draco's wrist and Professor Snape's nose." Hermione pointed out.

"And I'll do that again or something worse to ANYONE who thinks its a good idea to insult my family." Harry said before leveling a stare at Ron. "Irregardless if they're from the house of ravens, badgers, lions OR snakes."

"B-But Slytherin house is evil! Everyone knows that." Ron argued.

"And there lies your problem buddy. You guys stereotype people." Harry stated. "I've done some reading about your history here and I can't say I'm impressed. Just because majority of the members of an evil magical terrorist organization that existed twelve to fifteen years ago came from the house of Slytherin doesn't automatically mean everyone from their house is also evil."

"I mean, just look at them." Harry said, sweeping a hand towards the Slytherin's table. "Do they honestly look like magical terrorists in training to you? There may be a few bad eggs in the mix but they're mostly just students hoping to pass their next goddamned exams and if anything, your attitude towards them is probably what's driving them towards the darkside in the first place."

Ron had no response for this and instead resorted to clamming up and glaring at Harry. After all, how could he understand where Ron was coming from when he had been absent from the wizarding world for more then a decade? And he wasn't alone in this.

"Don't you all give me that look. You know what I'm saying is true." Harry snapped, noticing Ron and a few others from the Gryffindor table giving him the evil eye.

"Look Harry. I apologize for my housemates but..." Neville started but was cut off by Harry.

"Neville. Please don't tell me you're going to apologize for your housemates then say something stupid like it's always Slytherin who starts the fights here coz I ain't buying it." Harry said and got no response from the Longbottom heir. "That's what I thought. The fact is, you guys got so wrapped up in your rivalry with each other that the truth didn't even matter anymore."

Harry then got out of his place besides Neville and starts walking around the table and continuing. "Everything in this place so far has been a study in contradictions. You say that you're always being bullied by members of the Slytherin house when in fact, there's only a few pricks like that Malfoy kid who actually bullies you and the rest just simply ignores you."

"And Gryffindor isn't exactly innocent of any crimes either. How do you think a member of the house of Slytherin who was just minding his or her own business would feel if he becomes the target of a cruel prank from you guys. And don't even try to deny it coz I've heard horror stories from Uncle Albus and Aunt Minnie." Harry said bluntly causing a pair of Gryffindor twins to suddenly wince in realization.

"And don't even get me started on this stupid competition. It clearly states that it's a TRI-WIZARD tournament which means that there should only be three participants who are ALL supposed to be witches and wizards." Harry ranted on. "So answer me this. How the hell di I, a non-wizard, end up getting picked and being required to participate in this shindig?"

By this time, nearly everyone in the hall was straining to hear the conversation between the champion of the Pantheon and two of the three members of Gryffindor's Golden Trio. And it was clear that Harry Potter was not one to blindly follow what has been a norm in the wizarding world for years now.

In particular, the Headmaster and surprisingly, the potion master of Hogwarts seemed rather satisfied at what Harry was saying. Dumbledore because of his pride in his nephew and Snape because the boy was openly voicing out what he also believed to be the foolish misconceptions of the wizarding society in Britain. It also helped that Harry's eyes and volatile temper reminded him more of Lily rather then James.

Maybe he had been wrong about him and resolved to at least have a discussion with his house about avoiding a confrontation with him.

But before Harry could say anything else, Dumbledore interrupts him.

"As educational as this has been, I'm afraid I have to cut it short Harry. I believe that the representatives of the Pantheon have just arrived and are seeking audience." Dumbledore said just as the massive door to the Great Hall opens and four figures stride in.

Instantly recognizable was the acquitted convict, Sirius Black who looked resplendent in his robes as the acknowledged head of the Black family.

The Hogwarts populace also recognized the haggard looking Remus Lupin who had been the DADA teacher a year before.

The third was a pink haired female wearing the robes of an Auror who Dumbledore recognized as an alumni of Hogwarts and cousin to Sirius Black, Nymphadora (DON'T CALL ME NYMPHADORA!) Tonks.

But it was the fourth and final member of the visiting entourage who drew the most attention simply because he was not human at all but rather, a centaur. A blonde haired man with the lower body of a chestnut Palomino who Dumbledore mentally identified as Firenze due to the hoofmark on his chest due to being literally kicked out of the herd in the Forbidden Forest by Bane.

All of them , even the normally laid back Firenze, strode in with a purpose and none of them looked all too pleased either.

"Harry! Where's Harry?" Black demands as he enters the Great Hall.

"Right here Padfoot." Harry said as we walks towards the entourage and was suddenly enveloped in an embrace by both Black and Tonks while Lupin stood back with a small smile. "Ooofff... Easy there Padfoot, Tonks. I'm perfectly fine here." He said, smiling at them. Ever since he met the Black cousins and the werewolf five years ago, they were nothing if not protective of Harry not only because he was the son of Sirius's best friend but also because he was technically a part of the Black Family.

"You bloody hell are not! You shouldn't even be here!" Sirius exclaims before his slate gray eyes flashes coldly as he looks around the Great Hall. "Crouch, you bleeding bastard! Come out of whatever hidey hole you're inside of because you've got a LOT of explaining to do. It isn't enough that you put me in bloody Azkaban without a trial so now you're going to try and kill my godson?"

"Barty has gotten ill and is not present at the moment, Sirius." Dumbledore informs the enraged ex felon. "And I rather think that he will not be a factor in the immediate future."

"Yeah, I heard that Mr. Crouch got sick." Tonks spoke up. "But is it really that serious?"

"Lets put it this way Cousin Tonks. Crouch said some things which he shouldn't have and now, he's paying for it in a major way." Harry said with a grin.

It was Lupin who was able to put two and two together and realized what Harry meant. "Oh Merlin. He didn't!"

"He did." Harry confirms. "And all THREE of them responded rather negatively."

By this time, Sirius had also caught on. "And the school is still standing?" He asks incredulously.

"Crouch was punished by HIS mom instead because he chose to involve her." Harry informed them, jerking a thumb at Dumbledore, making them pale even further. "I think we can all agree that her way is particularly bad for a wizard, right?"

"Quite right." Lupin said. Even though he was fully capable of manual labor being experienced in concealing his magic while he worked in the muggle world, Lupin still couldn't imagine his life without his magic.

"Merlin. Crouch is finished." Tonks commented, knowing what sort of treatment Crouch was likely to encounter should the Ministry ever discover that he lost his magic.

"Harry is still stuck competing in this Merlin forsaken tournament though." Sirius spoke up, bringing them all back to the reason why they were here in the first place. "If he has to compete, then I'll make bloody sure that he's going to be ready for ANYTHING Barty had planned."

"I CAN take care of myself. You know that, right Sirius?" Harry said, sounding a little offended.

"Ordinarily, you most certainly can cub." Remus answers. "But you also know that if you're here, then chances are that whoever is responsible will make certain that things will NOT be in your favor."

Harry nods at this before turning towards the centaur. "You've been awfully quiet there. Should I assume that Chiron was the one who sent you to me?"

"Indeed little one. My name is Firenze and Herdmaster Chiron bade me to assist you for the duration of your stay here." The identified Firenze said.

"Umm... I think I've been kicked in the ass by Chiron too many times so is it really necessary for you to do the same?" Harry asked nervously.

Firenze couldn't help but crack a smile at this. "I speak not of your combat training. If Chiron was the one who taught you, then there is NOTHING else I could possibly teach you anyways. I am here to act on the Pantheon's behalf and to offer my guidance and insight."

"A beastly centaur offering guidance to a member of a noble family? How far have you fallen Potter?" A voice spoke up from the Slytherin table which earned them a glare from Harry. Nobody seemed willing to identify who the speaker was.

"Well listening to him is a whole lot better then listening to the shit that's coming out of your mouth, that's for sure." Harry said. "I'd tell whoever said that to step up and put his foot where his mouth is but he seems like too much of a little bitch to show his face."

Firenze gazes at the Slytherin table before speaking. "Believe me or not, I shall give you this warning. There is a coming darkness. A darkness so malignant that it spreads like a deadly plague and kills with no regards to blood status."

The centaur then turns to Harry before continuing. "But the light that is capable of dispelling that darkness is also coming. That means, everyone here has a choice when the time comes. Die with the dark or live with the light. I think the choice is rather obvious, do you not agree?"

Author's Notes: Next chappie's done. R&amp;R please :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: ****Enemies**** In High Places**

_Previously: "That means, everyone here has a choice when the time comes. Die with the dark or live with the light. I think the choice is rather obvious, do you not agree?"_

It was almost lunchtime but Hogwarts was still buzzing with excitement at the events this morning during breakfast.

Not only did THE Harry Potter declare his intent to win the entire tournament despite being an unwilling participant just to spite the naysayers, he also put the hurt on both the head of the Slytherin House and one of his snakes AND gave members of the Gryffindor house (as well as wizarding society in general) a verbal beatdown for what he perceived to be their foolish, contradictory practices.

And that was BEFORE Sirius Black made his return to Hogwarts together with former DADA professor Remus Lupin, Auror Nymphadora Tonks and much to everyone's surprise, the Pantheon's representative official, Firenze the centaur.

After his little display at the Great Hall though, he was whisked away by Sirius and the others to catch up and discuss their options for the upcoming tournament. After which, they decided to walk with Firenze back to the edge of the Forbidden Forest where the centaur will seek out and speak with his former herd about what had transpired in the castle and their subsequent actions in response.

"I still say you should've left the moment you were able to Harry." Sirius said stubbornly. "You owe them absolutely nothing so why should you have to take the bloody risk?"

"Because it's the right thing to do Padfoot." Harry answers with a sigh. Sometimes, he forgets that his godfather is a member of one of the darkest family in the wizarding world and some of their coldhearted tendencies had surely rubbed off on him. "I can't just let the other chosen champions suffer because of my nonparticipation even if I don't know anyone of them. You know thats not the way I want to do things."

"Yeah yeah. You and your pesky morals." Sirius grumbles. "Sometimes, you can be such a boyscout like Moony here. You know that?"

"Coming from a dirty scoundral of a mutt like you Padfoot, I'll take that as a complement." Remus shot back before looking at Harry with a reassuring smile. "You did the right thing cub even if I am not all too pleased about the situation."

"Of course we're not Remus. We all know this is all just the Dark Lord's bloody ploy to get Harry out in the open so he can get his filthy mitts on him." Tonks growls before looking at Harry. "And I for one am NOT going to let him out of my sight."

"Is that an offer Tonks? Golly gee, what would Remus say if he hears of this?" Harry wondered aloud, waggling his eyebrows playfully which earns him a punch in the arm from his older cousin and snorts of amusement from the remaining Marauders in their company.

"Prat. That's not what I meant and you know it." Tonks admonished.

"Of course I know it." Harry said with a grin. "But I'm just going to focus on that admittedly forbidden incestous scenario rather then the one of Voldemort getting his 'mitts' on me which, if I may say so, is very disturbing to say the least."

"Can you not take anything seriously? This is the Dark Lord we're talkimg about here." Tonks said in an exasperated tone.

"On the contrary dear cousin, I AM taking the threat of Voldemort seriously." Harry said, now looking grim. "I just choose NOT to let it dictate the way I want to live my life."

Harry then stops and faces them with a deadly expression. "Make no mistake about it. If and when he comes back, I'm not going to run and hide from that bastard. I'll find HIM before he finds me and then, he'll wish he stayed dead when I'm through with him."

"For better or for worse Cub, I'm with you. You can be sure of that." Remus said with quiet conviction.

"Someone has to watch your back Harry. Thats what family does and you're family." Tonks said, her hair cycling from pink, red and black.

"You don't even have to ask Harry." Sirius stated. "Even if it will cost me my life and magic, I'll fight to the bitter end to keep you safe."

"There'll be no talks of death here." Harry admonished his Godfather. "I may be willing to pull out all the stops to bring Voldemort down but I'm NOT risking anyone for it."

"And that is precisely why I believe that you are the light to Voldemort's darkness that the prophecy spoke off." Firenze spoke up with a smile. "By not compromising your morals and beliefs despite all the temptations to do so, you are already a far better man then he ever will be."

"Gee... Considering that the alternative is a psychotic overlord wannabe, that's not really saying much." Harry stated sarcastically, eyeing Firenze. "And I'm NOT as pure as you may think. Nobody is. I'm just able to controll my dark urges a little better then anyone else."

Firenze nods in acceptance of this. "That may be true. But it still does not change your part in the prophecy Mister Potter. And knowing that gives me great comfort. Not if you'll excuse me, I must have words with my breathen regarding this latest development." And with that, the centaur trots away towards the Forbidden Forest.

"You know, I never really gave much stock to prophecies despite my upbringing." Harry confessed after watching Firenze leave. "But if there's one thing I've also learned, prophecies have a way of resolving itself even if you don't try very hard."

Harry then looks at Sirius, Remus and Tonks. "I guess what I'm really trying to say is, me and Voldemort are bound to meet each other in battle. But thanks to you guys, I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Lord knows it could've been worst though. I could be fighting that bastard as a snot-nosed, skinny assed punk with nothing but sheer dumb luck on his side."

Sirius and the others coldn't help but chuckle at this before Sirius spoke again. "And like I've said countless times before, we'll be there besides you when that happens."

"Mister Potter, Lord Black." McGonagall 's voice calls their attention. Looking back, they can see the elderly witch walking towards them. Her expression clearly unhappy.

"Hi Aunt Minnie. By that sour look on your face, I take it you've got some bad news for us?" Harry inquires.

"Indeed Harry." The deputy headmistress confirms. "You and Sirius need to accompany me to the Headmaster's office right now."

"What's going on Minerva? What is this about?" Sirius asks as they follow McGonagall.

"I'm afraid Lucius Malfoy has gotten word of Harry's rather rough treatment of his son and is here together with the Minister Of Magic to demand restitution." McGonagall informs them, prompting Harry to snicker. This however, earns him a glare from the cat animagus. "I fail to see what seems to be so amusing about this Harry. This is a serious matter."

"Oh there's no doubt that things have just become serious Aunt Minnie. I just find it real funny that Draco went crying to daddy about what happened and expects him to make things better for him." Harry said.

"To be fair, you DID break Draco's hand Harry so of course he'd go crying to dear old Uncle Lucius." Tonks pointed out. "Then again, Draco's always been a bit of whiner."

"But the fact remains that he is now here and somehow, someway got the Minister involved in this." Remus stated thoughtfully. "He's probably not going to do anything to you directly but will use the opportunity to get some sort of advantage over the Black Family since you're their ward. After all, Sirius's reemergance as the head of the Black family put a stop to whatever plans Lucius may have of acquiring the Black Family wealth."

Harry suddenly got a twinkle in his eyes that was damned similar to Dumbledore in one of his more jovial moods. "Well then, two can play that game. If he likes to play the political game so much, I say we give it to him."

Sirius realizes what his godson meant and grins widely. "A prank worthy of a true marauder Harry." The dog animagus said with a laugh.

McGonagall sighs in resignation at this but could not help the small smile tugging at her lips. "Should I be worried about this?" She asks.

"Not really. But you might want to take notes because this is the way to deal with assholes like him." Harry said.

**...**

Dumbledore could not help but frown in disapproval as he watched Lucius Malfoy walk back and forth in front of his desk. The 'former Deatheater's' temper was legendary and when his wrath was incurred, not even the Minister of Magic, who sat nearby fiddling nervously with his bowler's hat, was safe. But Dumbledore also knew that Lucius was unlikely to try anything in his presence. That was what Fudge was here for which, in itself, was worrying and made the Headmaster wonder just how widespread, Lucius's influence wad within the ministry.

"Where is that young delinquent? I demand that he be expelled from Hogwarts for injuring my son."Lucius raged as he paced back and forth inside the Headmaster's office. Truth be told, Lucius was not THAT overly concerned about his son getting hurt. It was the loss of face from it being done in a very public forum by no less then the Boy-Who-Disappeared-And-Came -Back. Getting Fudge to accompany him here had been expensive but ultimately worth every penny he bribed him with to ensure that the little brat and his handlers pay for their transgressions against his reputation.

"Now now Lucius. Let us not be too hasty here. After all, we have not heard both sides of the story yet." Dumbledore cautioned.

Lucius angrily turned his attention to Dumbledore. "You allowed this to happen to my son Dumbledore so you must share the responsibility to it." He accused.

"I'm afraid he is quite right Dumbledore. You have a lot to answer for." Fudge said. "From Crouch's inexplicable loss of magic to the accusations that you knew the location of the Boy-Who-Lived all along after all these years."

"Of course I knew where Harry was being cared for all these years. I was his Magical Guardian before Sirius Black was exonerated for his crimes after all and needed to send him somewhere I knew where he could be sufficiently protected." Dumbledore stated reasonably.

"The ministry is fully capable of protecting its own citizens." Fudge blustered. "Instead of asking outsiders for assistance, we could have asked a proper wizarding family to take him in and raise him."

"And I suppose your definition of a proper wizarding family would be one like the Malfoys Minister? You'll forgive me if I disagree most strenuously." Black said as he enters Dumbledore's office with McGonagall, Harry, Remus and Tonks.

"Sirius Black! This is a private meeting. You and your filthy lot have no business being here." Lucius snarls.

"Like I'd leave you alone for even just a second with Harry you masked freak." Sirius shot back.

"Mister Black! You're out of line!" Fudge declares.

"That's LORD Black to you Minister Fudge." Sirius states, glaring at both Malfoy and Fudge. "And I'm here in my capacity as Harry's godfather since he's still a minor and as part of the Pantheon's contingent. You want to talk to Harry? Then I have to be present."

"Gentlemen. Maybe we SHOULD get to the reason why Harry was summoned here in the first place." Dumbledore cuts in, hoping to calm things down.

"Indeed we should." Lucius said with malicious glee as he stares at Harry. "Do you know who I am boy? Do you know why I'm here?"

"Well lets see..." Harry said, making a show of studying Lucius. "Bleached blonde hair... Some sort of cape... A silverheaded walking stick... You're a pimp aren't you?"

"P-Pardon me?" Lucius asks incredulously.

"Oh lord... You're that kid's pimp aren't you?" Harry asks fearfully, much to the amusement of Sirius and his companions, being the only ones with an idea of what Harry was talking about. "Hey man, I'm sorry for messing him up but the little prick was ticking me off and..."

"Enough of your inane prattle!" Lucius roars, having deduced that what Harry was saying was anything but flattering. He uses the head of his cane to tip the boy's face up to face him. "You are here because you assaulted a member of the high and noble House Of Malfoy and I, as the current head, demand satisfaction for your actions." Lucius then looks over at Sirius, Remus and Tonks. "But I shouldn't really be surprised since you were raised by blood traitors and a dark creature."

Harry light expression becomes stormy as he slaps away the cane under his chin. "I'd rather be raised by so-called blood traitors and dark creatures then by someone like you who paid his way out of jailtime you sanctimonious asshole."

"N-Now see here young man. Lucius Malfoy has been proven to have committed no crime and is an honorable member of a high and noble house." Fudge said.

"Well so am I." Harry said. "Tell me this Minister Fudge, would a proper and respectable member of a high and noble house openly antagonize someone from another noble house? Is that how a member of a noble house should act?"

"You lie!" Lucius hissed. "The attack was unprovoked. Draco never lies."

"Then may I suggest you check your facts again Lucius." Dumbledore said before looking at Fudge. "I don't know what you've been told Cornelius but it seems to be a complete contradiction to what actually happened. Majority of the student body and faculty were witnesses to the incident so it shouldn't be too difficult to discover the facts, don't you think so?"

"Y-Yes well we'll be sure to do a thorough investigation of the events." Fudge managed to say, recognizing a way out when he saw one. Lucius may be his biggest benefactor, but in the face of such overwhelming evidence, even he wasn't willing to stick his neck out for him. "There's nothing more we can accomplish here Lucius so we best be on our way."

The former Death Eater was obviously furious at this and looked like he wanted to object. But since the only friendly face in the room was now practically useless to him, he decided to cut his losses and leave. But as he was exiting Dumbledore's office, he decided to deliver one parting shot to the Boy-Who-Lived.

"I would be careful if I were you Mr. Potter." He said coldly. "This is an incredibly dangerous tournament you're participating in. Pray that you do not meet a sticky end in it and prematurely join your parents in the afterlife."

Sirius angrily started after Lucius at his words but was stopped by Harry who had a parting shot of his own.

"Thanks for the warning Lord Malfoy but allow me to give you one of my own." Harry said impassively. "When you see your Master, tell him that I'll be coming for him and his little club of masked, inbred morons, WHOEVER they may be. Tell him Hades has a special place in the underworld reserved just for him and his little asskissers and I intend to send each and every one them there."

Author's Notes: New chappie is out. R&amp;R please :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: ****Moon Child**

_Previously: "When you see your Master, tell him that I'll be coming for him and his little club of masked, inbred morons, WHOEVER they may be. Tell him Hades has a special place in the underworld reserved just for him and his little asskissers and I intend to send each and every one them there."_

Its been a week since Harry had been forcibly brought to Hogwarts to compete in the Triwizard Tournament but there are already predictions floating around that he had absolutely no chance against the other, far better trained chosen champions.

While he didn't really care one way or another about those predictions, how he was being depicted by what passes for their official newspaper was another matter altogether. According to the Daily Prophet, somebody qoted that he was 'an arrogant, dangerous and violent squib who seeks undeserved glory by mocking the sanctity and traditions of the Wizarding World with his participation in the tournament'. Never mind that he was being singled out to be a casualty.

Harry knew from his talks with Sirius and Remus that the Daily Prophet was practically owned by the Ministry Of Magic so it really didn't take a genius to figure out where they got the quote from.

The Daily Prophet did get one thing right though. Harry Potter IS dangerous especially when motivated which they thankfully did. This made him all the more determined to win it all to prove his detractors wrong.

Now all he had to do was figure out how to handle the negative publicity that was being leveled against him. That and how to get back at a certain pair of blonde bitches without getting implicated for their part in spreading the said negative publicity.

"You filthy mudblood! You'll pay for what you've done to Goyle!"

"Speaking of blonde bitches." Harry mutters to himself as he goes to look at what was going on. He turns the corner and sees two groups squaring off in the corridor. One group consisting of Malfoy, his pugnosed fangirl whose name he didn't know and his pet gorrilas (one of which seemed to have a mushroom growing on his head) while the other group had his godbrother Neville, Ron and a blonde haired girl with a spaced out expression wearing the colors of the Ravenclaw house standing protectively in front of Hermione who was covering her mouth fearfully.

"Sod off Malfoy! You prats started this whole thing. We were just defending ourselves." Ron snapped.

"Know your place weasel. You should be happy that we're even paying attention to you." Draco shot back. "You can't stand the fact that we're better then you lot in every way so you attacked us for it."

"Bollocks. We were just minding our own business here till you picked a fight with us." Neville stated angrily. "YOU just don't like it when somebody stands up to your shiite."

"That's because you mudbloods and blood traitors have no right to talk back to Draco!" The lone girl in Draco's entourage shrieked.

Harry was seriously considering just turning around and walking away since this business was clearly between the two feuding houses, but the sudden appearance of the Slytherin head gave him pause.

"Oh this can't be good." He mutters as he watches Snape walk towards the feuding sides with a malevolent gleam in his eyes.

"What is going on here?" The potions professor demands looking first at his Slytherins before turning his gaze towards the group of Gryffindors and the lone Ravenclaw.

"Sir! We were just walking along the corridor when they attacked us without warning." Draco said before pointing towards his cohort with the mushroom growing on his head. "Goyle was hit with some sort of mushroom growing spell too."

"So... Your entourage can't seem to keep out of trouble can they, Longbottom? And now your escalating it to blatant assault on your fellow students?" Snape said with a sneer. "That will be 200 points off for each of you and detention for the rest of the year."

"But sir! Draco and his group started the fight!" Ron protested then gestures towards Hermione who revealed her face showing that her two front tooth seemed to be growing at an accelerated rate, making her look like some sort of demented chipmunk.

"That's another 200 points for lying Mister Weasley." Snape drawled, glancing at Hermione. "And I see nothing wrong with Miss Granger."

With a strangled sob, Hermione turns and starts to scamper away in shame but runs straight into Harry who couldn't stand the blatant favoritism he was seeing and had stepped out into view. He gives Hermione a reassuring smile before looking at Snape and his house students.

"Wow. If this is the sort of treatment I should look forward to, then I'm glad I didn't enroll in this school." Harry said.

"What are you on about Potter? This is between students of Hogwarts and is therefore none of your concern." Draco said with a sneer.

"Shut up you little bitch. The adults are talking here." Harry said in a dismissive tone as he stares at Snape. "Or at least, I hope I'm talking to an adult instead of a bully. Is that how you really do things here Professor Snape? Issue punishments without getting your facts straight?"

"I will not be talked to like some..." Draco started to say before a look from Snape stops him cold. The Potion Master then regards the son of his hated enemy with a cold, calculating look. Knowing the the identity of his father, Severus didn't want to overly antagonize him lest he suffer Barty Crouch's fate. Yet neither was he willing to allow him to dictate his manner of issuing disciplinary actions. "Though crudely put, Draco is correct Mr. Potter. This is Hogwarts business and you have no say in how I dole out my punishments." He then gives Neville's group a distasteful look. "And I should also inform you that this particular group of students along with a few others are well known troublemakers and members of my house are their frequent target of choice so you'll have to forgive my protectiveness."

"Being protective is all well and good Professor Snape." Harry allowed. "But seeing that harm was obviously inflicted on BOTH parties and none seem willing to back down from their statements, don't you think its better if we call it even and let bygones be bygones in this instance? You DO know that if you punish them now like this then they WILL get back at your house in some other ways for what they think to be the unfairness of your punishment. So wouldn't it be better NOT to give them a reason to do so?"

Snape regards him with an unreadable look before speaking. "As I have said before, the manner of which we punish our students is none of your concern." Snape said as he turns his back on Harry. "But your words have some merit I suppose. In the spirit of mutual understanding, I shall revoke my punishments and overlook this incident for now. But know that if this happens again, the penalties will be most... Severe. Make sure it doesn't."

"Thank you Professor Snape. Good day to you." Harry said before leading the Gryffindors away from the scene. Presumably towards the infirmary to get Granger treated.

"Godfather! Why did you revoke your punishment? The squib and his bloodtraitor and mudblood friends attacked us first! Are you just going to let that stand unchallenged?" Draco demanded, earning him a grave look from his godfather.

"Draco. You and I both know what the truth is." Snape said. "But what I don't understand is why you persist in confronting them when you can spend that time better by proving your worth through your studies here."

"That's because they don't belong here. None of these blood traitors and mudbloods do." Draco snarls. "They're a disgrace to everything our society stands for."

"And yet Longbottom's group constantly outperforms most purebloods in this school. Blood purity means nothing if you cannot excel." Snape drawls. "Take me for instance. Need I remind you that I myself am a halfblood and yet that has not stopped me from becoming the youngest potion master in recent history."

"And then there is Mr. Potter." Snape continues with a grim look. "I am giving you this warning now Draco. Do NOT try to provoke him as you would Longbottom and his irk. You've experienced first hand how he makes people pay for their transgressions against him. But what you don't know is the extent of his abilities."

"What? He's nothing but a physically gifted barbarian squib." Pansy cuts in with scoffs. "What can he do?"

"I can assure you that he can do quite a bit more then physical harm Miss Parkinson. And I do not believe he makes ANY exceptions either. No matter what house you may be, if you have wronged him, then he WILL retaliate in kind." Snape answers evenly, turning his stern gaze at the suddenly nervous looking Slytherin female before looking back at Draco. "There are also forces involved here that you cannot even begin to comprehend and if you wish to continue with your course of action against him, then you will do so at the risk of your very life and magic. Are you certain you want to risk that?"

Draco's face was turning an interesting shade of red at the revelation and Snape couldn't tell if it was from rage or humiliation. But he didn't really care either way. He fulfilled his godfatherly duties by warning him and weather or not Draco heeds his warning was entirely up to him. He did deem it prudent to leave him with a parting nugget of wisdom as his head of house.

"You are a member of the House of Slytherin Draco. More importantly, you are a member of the Noble House of Malfoys." Snape said. "Childish provocations are beneath you. If you truly wish to undermine your enemies and prove your superiority here here, you will do so with definitive actions and not just empty words. Is that understood?"

"Yes godfather." Draco answers glumly after a moment's silence.

"Excellent. Now take Goyle to the infirmary before going to your next class." Snape orders. Watching Draco and his cohorts leave, the Potion Master wonders if Draco was even capable of surpassing the potential of Longbottom and his friends through his own performance without intervention. As much as he hated to admit it, the Longbottom heir's improvement was staggering and coupled with the sheer brilliance of Granger and the surprising intelligence of the the second youngest Weasley despite his rather crude behavior, they were a force to be reckoned with.

Then there's Harry Potter. He carried his emotions on his sleeves and was not afraid to let it show. He should have refrained from antagonizing him after the first time so the student body would not have been treated to the sight of a sixteen year old boy putting a professor on his ass. It was a mistake associating him with his father. A mistake he resolved not to do again.

**(Infirmary)**

"Thank you for your assistance back there." Hermione said to Harry after having her two growing front tooth fixed by the Mediwitch.

"It was no big deal." Harry replies. "I did it because it was the right thing to do. I hate bullies and had your group have been the ones doing that to them, you would've been the ones I was smacking down."

"The way you talked to Snape was still wicked though." Ron stated. "Never thought I'd see the day that slimy git backed down from anyone, let alone a student."

"And I've got to reiterate, I'm not exactly a student here, remember?" Harry pointed out. "Plus, haven't you ever consider that he was deliberately being like that because he was protecting his house?"

"Well naturally. He's the head of Slytherin. But that doesn't excuse his blatant favoritism." Ron argued hotly.

"And it doesn't." Harry allowed. "But look at it from his perspective. He represents a house baring the stigma of being the house of Death Eaters. Sure some may follow in their parent's footsteps but not everyone there are bigots. Your discrimination of an entire house because of the actions of a few is not helping and it's got to stop. Snape only does what he thinks is necessary to protect those in his house who doesn't buy into all that bigotry."

Ron was about to argue against this but was stopped by Neville. "Stop it Ron. Harry here is right. All this time, Gryffindor and Slytherin have been at each other's throat and I for one, am getting a little tired of the conflict."

"But they always start the fight." Ron said.

"Do they always?" Hermione asks pointedly. "Sure Malfoy and his irk tends to be the instigators but what about the others?"

For this, Ron had no response.

"Hey. That is just me. Your opinions are your own. Just give some thought to what I said." Harry said before turning to the spaced out companion of the Gryffindor trio. "By the way miss. I never caught your name."

"My name is Luna Lovegood. It's finally good to meet you Mister Potter." The blonde girl said airily.

Harry raises an eyebrow at her statement. _"FINALLY good to meet me? Is she expecting me or something?"_ He thought to himself. "Errr…. Nice to meet you too Luna."

Luna nods approvingly. "I've had dreams about your arrival here Harry. That and the fact that there's an unusual absence of wrackspurts in the school lately."

Harry glances at the three Gryffindors in mild confusion and they could only shrug their shoulders helplessly, having grown used to their friend's unusual behaviour. "Ummm…. Let me get this straight Luna. You've had DREAMS about my arrival here? Exactly how long have you been having these 'dreams' about me?" He asks, not bothering to ask what the hell wrackspurts were because he wasn't sure he'd like the answer.

"Long enough to know that your presence will change the magical world." Luna stated in an uncharacteristically solemn tone and serious expression. Harry realized with a start that her sudden shift of expression reminded him of a seer receiving one of her visions. If that was the case, then this girl must have divine lineage in her ancestry as well. Maybe not a direct offspring but a legacy which warranted further investigation.

"And also, my father wanted an interview with you." Luna suddenly added in her normal airy manner.

"An exclusive. Right." Harry said, filing away his thoughts about Luna's divine lineage for a later time. "Does your family run their own newspaper or something?"

"Or something." It was Neville who answered him with a mild grimace.

"Something wrong with the newspaper her family runs?" Harry asks.

"Nothing bad per se." Neville answers reluctantly, glancing at Luna who looked wholly unconcerned. "It's just that the Quibbler mostly concentrates on…. Special interest stories rather than real news and is not really taken very seriously in general."

"Huh…. Is that right?" Harry mutters, thoughtfully looking at Luna before an idea that pops into his head makes him smile. "Tell me something Luna. Being the daughter of a journalist, would you say that my participation in this tournament will warrant a visit by your society's official publication?"

"They most certainly will." Luna answers.

"And what are the chances that they will try to sensationalize whatever it is I'm going to do here?" Harry asks again.

"Sensationalize, scandalize or anything else they may fancy to make the government look good and probably make YOU look bad in the process." It was Hermione who answered with a smile of her own, having been the one who realized where Harry was going with this conversation. "You DID after all, make a fool of the son of one of their major sponsors."

"If that's the case then Luna, I have a proposition for you." Harry said, smiling broadly now. "How would the Quibbler like exclusive rights to The Boy Who Lived?"

Author's Notes: Whew…. This took a while to hash out. I know I promised a once a week update but real life issues prevented me from doing so. As usual, R&amp;R please


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Of Wands And Swords**

Harry was still deep into his negotiation with Luna in the library when Sirius found him.

"There you are pup." Sirius greets his godson who looks up in slight surprise.

"Sirius. What are you doing here?" Harry asks.

"Why looking for you of course." The ex-convict answers before frowning. "Apparently, the tournament committee wants me to fetch you for their wand weighing ceremony."

Harry blinks at this. "I'm sorry, what? Did you just say a WAND weighing ceremony? What does that have to do with ME?"

"The wand weighing ceremony is a tradition in the Tri-Wizard Tournament where the Champions have their wands measured, weighed and tested by a certified expert." Hermione helpfully informs him.

Harry stares blankly at Hermione as he spoke. "That's nice for them Hermione but I'll ask again. What does it have to do with ME?"

Hermione looked annoyed at this and was about to answer before Neville cuts her off. "I think what she means mate is that since you're a champion, you're required to attend."

Harry sighs in annoyance at what he perceived to be the ridiculousness of the situation before making a show of patting his pockets as if looking for something. "Sorry. No wand here. Does that mean I'm disqualified?" He asks hopefully.

Sirius chuckles at his Godson's antics. "Not quite that simple pup. They'll still want you there anyways if only to show you off to the resident buzza... I mean reporters of the Daily Prophet."

"The Daily Prophet." Harry repeats in a deadpan voice. "The same Daily Prophet that's been bustin' my chops about my participation in the tournament. What the hell makes them think I want anything to do with their damned lying asses?"

"The Daily Prophet's covering the tournament. I really don't see any way you can get out of talking to them pup." Sirius said before taking note of the sudden feral smile Harry was giving him and the bemused looks of the table's other occupants. "Or maybe you do." He ammended warily.

"Funny you should mention that Sirius." Harry said before gesturing towards Luna. "I'd like you to meet Luna Lovegood. Daughter of Xenophilius Lovegood who runs the Quibbler. She and I have been talking and we've now got an... arrangement so to speak."

Sirius found himself matching Harry's feral grin as he realized what his godson's intent was. "Is that right? By all means, please tell me more about this arrangement you have with her."

**...**

Harry, accompanied by Sirius and Luna, arrives at the wand weighing ceremony twenty minutes later. There he sees that the other champions are already present together with Dumbledore, Bagman, a creepy looking old man with oddly bright eyes, a toady lady wearing the ugliest and pinkest looking cardigan he has ever seen accompanied by a lanky redhead who looked vaguely familiar as well as a group of witches and wizards with cameras and quills huddled together in the corner whom he assumed was the Wizarding World's version of the press corps. Upon his entrance, he was accosted by the pink toady lady and a member of the wizarding press corps who was a bespectacled blonde woman. But whatever good looks she may have had was ruined by the horrid amount of makeup and perfume she wore not to mention a colorful mess of a dress which quite possibly eclipsed anything Dumbledore ever wore.

"Hem hem... It's about time you got here Mister Potter. Haven't you been taught that its bad manners making people wait like this?" The pink toad said with a sickenly sweet and entirely false looking smile and a high pitched voice which grated at Harry's nerves. But it was her next words which sealed the deal for him that this... Woman was someone he had to keep a close eye on. "But being raised in the muggle world, I don't really expect you to have learned enough."

"Oh I don't really know about that. You'd be surprised at what I HAVE learned in the _mundane _world Miss..." Harry prompted.

"Dolores Jane Umbridge. Undersecretary to the Minister Of Magic Cornelius Fudge and Barty Crouch's replacement in the tournament since he has taken ill." She identifies herself smugly.

"Thank you Miss Umbridge. Besides, I think you'll also agree with me that entering somebody against their will in a potentially life threatening tournament is also the height of bad manners, don't you think so?"

Umbridge's fake smile faltered a bit but she stilled pressed on. "That is not the issue here Mister Potter. You were chosen by the Goblet therefore you are required to participate in all activities relating to the tournament."

"In DIRECT relation to the tournament Miss Umbridge. There's a BIG difference Miss Umbridge." Harry corrected before adding. "This 'wand weighing' ceremony probably qualifies since you DO have to check the wands for any signs of tampering or if there's anything illegal in it. Though I don't really see the point of me being here since I don't have a wand."

"Wait... You're a squib?" The garish looking female reporter asks suddenly, a sickly green quill floating behind her automatically starts jotting down notes in a floating parchment in front of it. Sirius was about to say something but Harry stops him with a raised hand before turning his gaze towards the woman with a frown on his face.

"Err... No. If I were a squib, would I be standing here participating in this blasted tournament and talking to you? And while we're at it, who the hell are you?" Harry asks.

"I'm sorry. Where are MY manners. I am Rita Skeeter and I represent the Daily Prophet." She said with what she hoped was a seductive smile which, to everyone else present, came out looking disturbing. "I was hoping to have a few minutes of your time to ask a few questions regarding your participation in the tournament for our readers." Without waiting for his response, Rita grabbed his arm and attempted to pull him away somewhere else.

The keyword is attempted. When Harry refused to budge, Rita looks over at him in surprise while Harry's two companion looked amused.

"Sorry, but if I have to go by what you guys in the Daily Prophet wrote about me these past few days, I think I'll pass on that interview." Harry stated, shaking himself loose from Skeeter's surprisingly strong grip. "There's no telling what sort of shit you guys ARE going to write about me if I DO give that interview. But don't quote me on that... Seriously though, don't quote me on ANYTHING I say because you'd be in all kinds of trouble because another publication owns exclusive rights to my name."

At this point, Umbridge cuts in. "Hem hem... That's nonsense. The only official publication of the Ministry Of Magic is the Daily Prophet."

"That's nice for you and the Ministry Dolores but Harry is right. Somebody else has exclusive rights and it's NOT the Daily Prophet. You're not the ONLY newspaper of the Wizarding World after all." Sirius spoke up with a beatific smile before looking towards the other champions. "As a matter of fact, the Daily Prophet does not own exclusive rights to the other champions either. Not if they don't want them to have it."

At this, the Bulgarian and French contingent started whispering amongst themselves while the Hogwarts representative spoke with his Head Of House. Umbridge and Skeeter looked upset at Sirius's revelation while Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in amusement though he was careful not to let his approval of the move show in his face.

"Then praytell, how will we report on the tournament. And who DOES have exclusive rights to the 'Boy-Who-Lived'?" Skeeter asks venomously.

"You can still report on the general FACTS and happenings in the tournament Miss Skeeter." Harry said. "You're just not reporting ANYTHING about me specifically or any of the other champions for that matter if they grant exclusivity to any other publications of their choice."

"And if we find that you have written something in the Daily Prophet about Harry specifically without express permission, then my barrister WILL be paying a visit to your good offices." Sirius said placing a hand in Luna's shoulder and adding. "As for who DOES have exclusivity to Harry, I think it should be obvious since Miss Luna Lovegood is together with us. It is the Quibbler."

Umbridge and Skeeter's expressions turned murderous at this revelation before attempting to outshout each other.

"THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS!"

"THEY'RE NOT EVEN A PROPER PUBLICATION!"

"YOU CANNOT DO THIS!"

"THE QUIBBLER IS A MASSIVE JOKE!"

"HEADMASTER!" Umbridge screeched, rounding towards Dumbledore who was conferring with Bagman. "Surely you cannot allow this... Outsider to dictate the terms in a prestigous and noble tournament such as this."

"Of course not." Dumbledore actually agreed amiably. "But there is NOTHING in the tournament charter which says that only the Daily Prophet have exclusive rights to its champions. Who they pick to represent them is entirely their prerogative." Dumbledore declares.

"And personally, I don't really get why you persist on calling this a prestigious and noble tournament seeing as the basic rules have already been violated." Harry quipped.

"As fun as this discussion is becoming, I think we should really get down to the reason why we were called here." Sirius said before looking at the creepy old man with the oddly bright eyes. "Mister Ollivander. My godson has already mentioned that he does not own a wand. But is he allowed any other medium to channel his magic?"

"Sirius Black. Bloodwood with Manticore hair core. Perfect for offensive magic." Olivander murmured before turning his disconcerting gaze at Harry. "According to the rules, it is allowed so long as it is able to effectively channel his magic."

Sirius glances at Harry who nods and brings out what looks like a quill from his jacket. With a flick of his wrist, the quill turns into a wicked looking, feather shaped curved sword which he tests with a few practice swings.

"Swords are NOT allowed in the tournament!" Umbridge declared pompously. "How dare you even consider that monstrosity a magical medium!"

Harry raises an eyebrow before flicking the sword towards one of the room's candlestand. A green crescent of energy lashes out and cuts the candlestand in two. "Well it channels MY magic well enough so what seems to be the problem here?" He asks casually.

"That sword is a deadly weapon!" Umbridge insisted. "It can't be allowed in the tournament."

"In the hands of any witch or wizard, wands can also be considered as deadly weapons." Harry reasoned. "What makes my sword any different?"

"Because... Because..." Umbridge stammered, furiously trying to think of a reason.

"I think Harry has proven his point well enough." Dumbledore said, looking at Kakkaroff and Maxime. "If my fellow headmasters have no objections..."

"Nyet. An opponent competing with a handicap is not worth defeating." The Durmstrang headmaster said with Krum agreeing with a curt nod.

"I am confident our champion will overcome any obstacles. Let him hav hiz leetle blade." The french giantess declared after speaking with her ward.

"Then it's settled." Dumbledore said with a clap of his hands, looking at an angry Umbridge. "The Champion of the Pantheon Harry Potter shall be allowed his sword."

Unable to come up with any counter argument, Umbridge opted to simply leave followed closely behind by the redheaded lackey while Skeeter moved off to try and interview the other champions but was flatly refused by the bulgarian and french contingent. Being the nice guy that he was, the Hogwarts champion Cedric Diggory briefly entertained Skeeter before being called away for his turn with Ollivander.

The wand weighing ceremony itself had been incident free. And despite his rather disconserting appearance, Ollivander turned out to be not just a master wandmaker but a craftsman of considerable skill as well and impressed Harry with his knowledge of the type of steel his sword was made of since it wasn't really known even in the wizarding world. After allowing Ollivander to inspect his sword, Harry was approached by the other champions.

"If we may 'ave a moment of your time Monsieur Potter?" The french champion, Fleur Delacour if Harry remembered her name correctly, greets him as she walks up with Krum and Diggory.

"Certainly Miss Delacour, Mister Krum and Mister Diggory." Harry said amiably. "What can I do for all of you today?"

Cedric clears his throat nervously before speaking. "We feel that we should thank you for participating in the tournament despite having all the right and reason not to. We owe our lives and..." Harry cuts him off with a raised hand.

"Mister Diggory. As I told you giys back in that room during the aftermath of the selection process, I did that not because I wanted to be thanked for my actions but because it was the right thing to do. It wouldn't have been fair to any of you if you had to forfeit your magic just because I didn't participate in this tournament." Harry said before adding in a grim voice. "But I WILL admit that my motives are not entirely selfish either. My participation here is also going to lure out the one responsible for the deaths of my parents and when he comes out of his hidey hole, he's a dead man."

Victor raises an eyebrow skeptically. "Yo DO realize that Voldemort is probably the single greatest threat to the magical world since Grindelwald, do you not? An immortal monster whom only Dumbledore has a chance in beating."

Harry snorts derisively at this. "I think my great uncle may have something to say about the immortality bit. Voldemort HAS been evading his influence all this time after all and he's chomping at the bit to get his hands on him. And as for how that's going to happen, well let's just say that I have a way of ensuring he makes his way to Tartarus without even touching him."

"You are referring to ze strange powers you displayed back then, yes? The powers granted to you by ze Pantheon?" Fleur asks curiously. "I 'ave to admit zat it was ze first time I've seen such a display of power."

"No. That was the big three of the Pantheon making a point. I'm just the offspring of a member of the Pantheon so MY abilities don't cover those." Harry said. "Though it doesn't hurt that me and my dad have a working relationship with the rest of them and given who he is, it's only natural."

"So it's really true? You're the son of Hermes? Then that makes you..." Cedric's voice trailed off as he realized the implications.

"A demigod? Yeah. That sounds about right." Harry finished. "Though in all honesty, every witches, wizards and magical creatures in the world are descended from the gods. I'm just a couple of steps above and I'm not the only one of my sort who exists."

"Bloody hell. There's more of you?" Cedric asks incredulously.

"Yup. And if my buddies back in the camp could see me now, I'll never hear the end of it." Harry answers.

"Vat about vat you said to that reporter?" Victor asks suddenly. "You are certain whoever gets our exclusive iz our prerogative?"

"Absolutely. The ministry may not want to admit it but you've got a choice." Harry replies with a snort. "You KNOW they're just gonna use this tournament to toot their own damned horn and I'm not about to add to their charade."

"Zat iz a very good point. Ze english ministry and their publication 'ave always been intolerant of what they deem to be 'lesser beings' and as a half veela, I cannot, in good conscience, condone to zat." Fleur said thoughtfully.

"The press can be vultures and parasites who care little of what you feel. Even more so if you are foreigners to their land." Krum opined bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I for one, am glad I do not have to tolerate Skeeter and her ilk while I compete in the tournament."

"Well it IS true that the Daily Prophet tends to... Exaggerate on a lot of things. But as you've pointed out earlier Harry, they're not the only publication here in Magical Britain so I'm actually rather thankful we have other options." Cedric said diplomatically. "Still, you DO know that they won't let it end like this, right?"

"They can hem and haw all they like but in the end, we're following the TOURNAMENT and not theirs. If they try anything, they'll be accused of blatant favoritism. You really think they'll want that?"

"Victor. We're leaving."

"Let us go Fleur."

"Time to get back to class Cedric."

"Well I guess this is it for now." Harry said with a chuckle. "Time flies when you're having fun and all that."

"Well then. I vill see you in the battlefield, da?" Victor said, offering his hand which Harry shook.

"Da." Harry parroted, earning him a nod of respect from the older boy before leaving with his headmaster while ignoring Skeeter who was, once again, trying in vain to interview him.

Fleur steps forward next and offers her own hand which Harry takes before softly kissing her knuckles and making the part Veela blush.

"Thank you for the pleasure of your company Miss Delacour. Good luck, ok?" Harry said.

"Do not think that zis changes ze fact that I intend to win Monsieur Potter." Fleur said mischievously.

"I should hope not Miss Delacour. It will be a very borimg tournament otherwise." Harry sniped back. Fleur was then led away by her gargantuan headmistress and also ignoring Skeeter, much to the reporter's irritation leaving him with the Hogwarts champion.

"Well then. Let's have a good one, yeah?" Cedric said in a friendly manner as he shook Harry's hand.

"Right-o Mister Diggory. And lord please let's all not screw up." Harry quipped.

Cedric chuckles at this. "You're all right Mister Potter. And call me Cedric. See you around." Cedric said as he follows his head of house back to class. After watching Cedric leave, he himself goes off to meet up with Sirius and Luna to begin his own preparations.

**...**

Later that night, Harry had been called by Firenze to the Forbidden Forest for what he said was an urgent matter. But exactly what it was is still a mystery to him.

"I really hope you didn't call me down here on a coldass night just to sightsee Firenze." Harry grumbles as he wraps himself tighter with his jacket.

"I wouldn't be doing that if it wasn't important." Firenze answers. "You'd be interested to know that members of my herd have told me of some unusual activity in the Forbidden Forest which may relate to the first test of the tournament."

"That actually sounds really useful." Harry said with a raised eyebrow. "But why are you telling me this? Wouldn't it be like cheating or something?"

"I am only telling you what I am told and so long as it is not anything specific, it is not against the rules." Firenze said. "You are free to investigate and draw your own conclusions. We are here now."

Harry looks at the direction where Firenze was pointing at. And judging from the light and noise emanating from over there, there DOES seem to be a lot of unusual activity. Sneaking in closer for a better look, what he saw chilled him to the bone.

"What the hell?! The first test involves fucking DRAGONS?!"

Author's Notes: New chappie for you guys. R&amp;R pls.


End file.
